Meloni plans to ban burqas and niqabs in Italian schools, cap foreign students in classrooms
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- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government will introduce a measure to cap the number of foreign students in classrooms and ban burqas and niqabs in schools.
- The proposal would also require Italian-language lessons for parents of foreign students facing “serious difficulties integrating into the school system.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Sunday that her government will soon introduce a measure that would limit the number of foreign students in classrooms and ban the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools.
Speaking to the youth wing of her nationalist-conservative Brothers of Italy party at a festival in Rome, Meloni said the measure would also make Italian-language lessons compulsory for parents of foreign students experiencing “serious difficulties integrating into the school system.”
“For us, anyone who comes to Italy and wants to build their future here must learn our language, understand our culture, and respect our rules,” Meloni said to a standing ovation. “It is the only serious way to welcome them.”
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Meloni specifically referred to banning the burqa, a garment that covers the entire body and face, and the niqab, which covers the face while leaving the eyes visible.
She did not mention the hijab, a headscarf worn by some Muslim women that leaves the face uncovered.
The proposed measure would need to be approved by Italy’s Parliament within 60 days after being adopted by the government to become law.
Meloni has maintained a hard-line position on migration since becoming prime minister, although her political standing in Europe has evolved from that of a nationalist outsider to a more established figure among European Union leaders.
Her government is also pursuing other measures ahead of next year’s general election, including an exemption from a property tax affecting small and medium-sized cars and scooters.
Earlier this month, Meloni’s conservative administration became Italy’s longest-serving uninterrupted government since World War II.
